A 24-12 home win over Hampshire in the Cosmo Darts Premier Division of the UKDA National League has seen Yorkshire increase their lead at the top of the table from twelve to twenty points.
Their nearest rivals Lancashire were held to an 18-18 draw away to Cornwall and with just one more fixture to play away against Glamorgan who are just two places off the foot of the table, Yorkshire appear to have the title all wrapped up as second placed Lancashire have a tough home fixture against third in the table Lincolnshire who despite being eleven points behind Lancashire have a game in hand on them.
At the other end of the table London remain rooted to the foot of the table after losing their latest home game against Lincolnshire 22-14 while Essex moved up three places in the table from their next to bottom position after they won 20-16 at home against Dorset.
Hampshire’s defeat sees them drop to the next to bottom position with 139 points just nine more than bottom of the table London. Glamorgan are two places off the bottom they had a bye and are on the same 139 points as Hampshire and just above them is Dorset who are four points to the good on the two teams.
Top individual performances for the Cosmo Premier Division came from James Beeton (Lincolnshire) who in his 4-1 win over his London namesake James Malcher got the men’s ‘A’ top average of 31.39, the men’s ‘B’ of 32.85 went to Essex man Keegan Brown who had a 4-0 success over Dorset’s Robert Marshallsay.
Audrey Underwood (Lancashire) was in top form chalking up a superb 24.76 average in her thrilling 3-2 win over Cornwall’s Maria O’Brien, who despite losing had a super 24.97 average. The ladies ‘B’ award went to Laura Turner (Hampshire) as she accounted for Yorkshire’s Taylor Field with a 3-2 win and 21.34 average.
In the Andy Wheeler Fisheries Championship Division, a 19-17 home defeat at the hands of the Suffolk team has seen Cambridgeshire lose top spot and drop to second place with 179 points. Suffolk’s win lifts them up two places in the table to third, now on 176 points but with a game in hand on their hosts Cambridgeshire who are only three points to the good. Sussex had a convincing 25-11 home win over Kent which takes them from third to top of the table with 186 points. At the other end of the table the bottom four teams remain the same with Cheshire bottom on 122 points form seven games, Staffordshire are next to bottom with 129 points from eight games and then come Derbyshire and Gwent, who have also played eight games and are in turn on 134 and 146 points.
Gwent’s Nick Kenny chalked up the best men’s ‘A’ average, 31.65 in his 4-1 win over Staffordshire’s Andy Cope, the men’s ‘B’ top average was 29.91 achieved by Sussex player Harry Jackson who beat Kent’s Jack Fuller 4-0. Cheshire’s Lindsey Ashton was certainly in top form as she registered a 24.95 average in her tremendous 3-1 win over Oxfordshire’s Deta Hedman to take the ladies ‘A’ award and not far behind Lindsey was Gwent’s Yazmine Ruck-Havard who topped the ladies ‘B’ averages with her 23.86 and straight 3-0 win over Staffordshire’s Sammi Brown.
A 19-17 win at Merseyside has seen Middlesex increase their lead at the top of the L-Style Division One table from eleven to fifteen points, Merseyside losing the second place and dropping to third on 176 points, some sixteen short of their victors. Taking over in the number two spot is Black Country whose 22-14 home win over Buckinghamshire has taken their total points to 177. West Midlands who are a further one point behind Merseyside hold on to their fourth position after a 24-12 win at Berkshire. No change in the bottom two places, Buckinghamshire remaining at the foot of the table with 119 points and Cleveland are just above them with 128 points after they had a bye.
Berkshire’s Archie Self had a very creditable 33.97 average in his straight 4-0 win over Shaun Carroll (West Midlands) to take the men’s ‘A’ award and the top ladies ‘A’ player was West Midlands Evonne Taylor who took her winning super league form to the county, winning 3-0 against Berkshire’s Ally Judge. Jodie Challinor (Clwyd) had a 29.91 average in his 4-0 win against Somerset’s Taylor Foster, Martin Lukeman (Middlesex) just losing out with his 29.47 average. The top ladies ‘B’ average went to Del Stapley (Clwyd) who won 3-0 against Zoe Liddle (Somerset).
Game number eight for Division Two brought about no changes whatsoever in the top four places, Worcestershire holding on to pole position with191 points following their 20-14 win at Gwynedd but having their lead reduced from twenty to eighteen points as second paced Salopian won 24-12 at Wiltshire.
Prior to their latest fixture, third in the division Nottinghamshire were level on points with Salopian but after being held to an 18-18 draw at home against Tyne and Wear they are now on 165 points which is eight less than Salopian but three more than fourth placed County Durham who had a 20-16 home win over Surrey. In addition to no change in the top four there are no changes in the bottom four, Gwynedd still at the foot of the table with 127 points, Wiltshire just above them with 129 points. Two places off the bottom Cumbria, lost 21-15 at Northumberland to leave them on 143 points, seven fewer than the team above them, Surrey
Nottinghamshire’s Micky Stocks had the best men’s ‘A’ average which was 30.36 in his 4-0 win over Tyne and Wear’s David Stokell, the best ‘B’ average going to Paul Williams (Tyne and Wear) who won 4-3 against Micky Stocks. For the ladies the ‘A’ award went to Steph Clarke (Salopian) who beat Wiltshire’s Tina Rowlands 3-0, the ‘B’ award also going to Salopian as Hayley McGuinness won 3-1 against Linzi Holton with a 19.61 average.
It’s as-you-were for the top three teams in Division Three, leaders Norfolk adding a 26-10 home win over Isle of Wight to their account to put them on 216 points while second placed Shropshire went one better with a 27-9 home win over Pembrokeshire to reduce the deficit on the top team to twenty-two points. Third in the division West of England are a further three points adrift after they also won 27-9 playing away against Gloucestershire. There is no change in the bottom four as Isle of Wight’s defeat leaves them bottom with 82 points, then comes Montgomery and Radnor with 113, Pembrokeshire are on 116 and Breconshire have 151.
Despite their heavy defeat Isle of Wight supplied the men’s ‘A’ top average as Jason Collins chalked up a 31.04 average in his 4-2 win over Norfolk’s Paul Taylor. The ladies ‘A’ award went to Jane Price (Gloucestershire) who defeated Sam Lloyd (West of England) 3-1 and averaged 21.82. Wirral’s Tony Martin clinched the men’s ‘B’ award with his 30.83 average and 4-0 win over James Phillips (Breconshire) while Norfolk’s Elaine Blackett topped the ladies ‘B’ averages, her 20.31 average and 3-0 win over Isle of Wight’s Jules Inman earning her the accolade.
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Alan Towe writes with the support of Red Dragon Darts
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